Garment measuring and guide apparatus



M. G. MARSETTA GARMENT MEASURING AND GUIDE APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 12, 1964 INVENTOR. Mildred G. Makserra M. G. MARSETTA GARMENT MEASURING AND GUIDE APPARATUS Aug.29-, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 12, 1964 INVENTOR F i g. 4 5

Mildred G. Marsefla I Attorney United States Patent 3,337,959 GARMENT MEASURING AND GUIDE APPARATUS Mildred G. Marsetta, 3021 Rawson St., Oakland, Calif. 94619 Filed Nov. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 410,670 Claims. (Cl. 3310) The invention relates to sewing and tailoring devices and more particularly to an improved garment measuring and guide apparatus useful in facilitating the cutting and marking of a skirt hem in womens garments.

An object of the present invention is to provide a garment measuring guide which will facilitate the cutting and marking in preparing the hem in skirts of various width, length and fullness, whether they be straight or flared.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a garment device of the character described which may be folded to a thin compact package or expanded to form a container.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character described which is inexpensive to manufacture, quickly assembled and easy to use.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which of the foregoing will .be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification. It is to be understood however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Refering to said drawings (2 sheets):

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the garment measuring and guide apparatus with a model and a seamstress shown in phantom demonstrating the apparatus in use.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus in its unassembled form.

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of the apparatus shown on an enlarged scale with different size rings shown in phantom.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom perspective view of the apparatus shown on an enlarged scale with portions of the outer support broken away.

The garment measuring and guide apparatus of the present invention comprises briefly a support 6 having a substantially vertical wall 7 adapted for surrounding a model at a hemline region for positioning on the inner side of a garment 8 worn by the model, an annular member 9 slidably mounted on the support in surrounding relation thereto and having an inner surface 11 in frictional engagement with the wall 7 for selectively securing the member 9 at a desired elevation and having an outer planer peripheral edge \12 for supporting the garment for marking.

Preferably, a pair of disposed annular members are used; the upper member 9 serving to support the garment for marking the hemline with chalk or other marking substances and a lower member 13 providing a planer edge to guide the cutting shears to shorten the garment. Because of the great variety of dimensions in skirts in fullness, it is necessary to provide annular members having different outside diameters. In FIGURE 2 there is shown three pairs of annular members 16, 17 and 18 having outside diameters of respectively increasing dimensions. Vertical wall 7 is provided with visually observable measuring scale means 19 having measured lines 21 and numbers 22, thus annular members 9 and 13 may be set to a predetermined elevation to accomplish the cutting and marking. The numbered scale means 19 is preferably duplicated at spaced circumferential points to assist in placing the an- 3,337,959 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 nular members at a predetermined elevation and also to assist in placing all points of the annular members at the same distance from the floor or other support.

The annular members, as for example 9, are preferably formed with a planer circular edge for supporting the garment for marking and for guiding cutting shears to cut the garment.

An important feature of the present invention is the fact that the garment measuring and guide device is adaptable for service as a container for holding sewing supplies or other household items. Wall 7 is preferably formed as a closed wall in any desired shape such as a circle and preferably a polygon. The annular members, such as annular member 9, are formed with an inner surface 11 which is similar in shape to the shape of wall 7 of the container; and dimensioned to form a close sliding frictional grip therewith so that the annular member may be selectively secured at the desired elevation.

At the present time, it is the accepted style to wear relatively narrow skirts thereby dictating a container of relatively small diameter. In order to permit the model to stand with her heels at the approximate center of the container, it is necessary to provide foot openings therein, such as those shown in FIGURE 1 as opening 24 and 25.

The range of hem lengths possible is greatly expanded by constructing the device with telescoping sections. In FIGURE 1, there is provided an inner support 27 having upright wall portions 28 and an outer support hereinabove referred to as support 6 having a substantially vertical wall hereinabove referred to as wall 7 slidably mounted on the inner support for selective securement at desired elevations and for positioning on the inner side of garment 8 worn by the model.

Raising and lowering support 6 may be facilitated by providing hand holds 30 and 31 at the upper end. These hand holds are also convenient for moving the device about when it is used as a container only.

Another feature of the present invention is the construction of the container with a bottom wall 33 hingedly connected to the vertical side walls as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. Various means may be used in connecting the bottom wall 33 such as snaps, hooks, or snap connections, and one form only is shown because of the many types of connections which may be utilized. In FIGURE 3, a flap hinge member 34 connects bottom wall 33 to wall 28. To secure the bottom wall 33 in place, a hook member 36 is connected to wall 28 and a catch member 37 is secured to the bottom wall 33. In order that the device may be conveniently stored in a compact package, as shown in FIGURE 2, the side walls 7 are formed vvtih fold lines, such as shown by number 38, it has been found that an eight-sided figure folds to a very convenient size.

Where the device is formed with fold lines, 38, so that it may be folded to a compact package, I have found that it is desirable to increase the thickness of base wall 33 and to shape it so that it is of slightly smaller dimensions than the inside dimensions of inner support member 27 and of the same shape so that it will serve to provide rigidity for support 27. Where the container is made from a relatively thin wall cardboard, or otherthin flexible material, several layers 39 and 40 may be used. I have found that the bottom walls 39 and 40 may be made from the punch outs of annular members 16, 17 and 18, since the walls 28 of support 27 are flexible enough to fall outside the peripheral edge of the bottom walls 39 and 40.

In operation, the device would be assembled from the compact package as shown in FIGURE 2 by first shaping mner and outer supports 6 and 27 in symmetrical form and then securing the hinged bottom wall 33 by securmg hook means 36 to catch member 37. Next the proper size pair of rings 16, 17 or 18 is selected and placed around outer support member 6. Using the scale means 19, the

upper annular member 9 is placed at the elevation at which the hem is to be marked. The lower annular member 13 is then placed at the elevation at which the bottom of the garment is to be cut. The model then steps into the device with her heels at the approximate center portion of the bottom wall 33 with the forward portion of her feet extending out through openings 24 and 25. Outer member 6 is then raised by either the model or the assistant to a predetermined stop position. The garment to be hemmed is then placed on the outside of the annular members 9 and 13 and a helper 42 cuts off the bottom of the garment by placing the scissors or other cutting means on the outer edge of the lower annular member 13; using the edge as a guide. The next step is to mark the hemline which is accomplished by rubbing tailors chalk or other marking means against the garment which is supported at the outer peripheral edge of annular member 9.

After the garment has been cut and the hemline marked, the annular members 9 and 13 may be easily removed by sliding them upwardly over the end of wall 7. Outer support 6 is then lowered to the bottom wall 33 and the device is ready to serve as a container. The device may also be disassembled and flattened into the compact package shown in FIGURE 2 by reversing the steps set forth.

I claim:

1. A garment measuring and guide apparatus comprismg:

a support having a substantially vertical wall adapted for surrounding a model at a hemline region for positioning on the inner side of a garment worn by said model;

a pair of spaced upper and lower annular members slidably mounted on said support in surrounding relalation thereto and each having an inner surface of frictional engagement with said wall for selectively securing said members at desired elevations and at varying distances from each other and said upper member having a radially disposed outer surface providing a planer edge for supporting said garment for marking and said lower member having a radially disposed edge for guiding cutting shears to cut said garment.

2. A garment measuring and guide apparatus comprisa support having a substantially vertical wall adapted for surrounding a model at a hemline region for positioning on the inner side of a garment worn by said model;

a pair of spaced upper and lower annular members slidably mounted on said support in surrounding relation thereto each having an inner surface in frictional engagement with said wall for selectively securing said members at desired elevations, and each having an outer surface providing a planer circular edge for supporting said garment for marking and for guiding cutting shears to out said garment;

said support wall being provided with a plurality of visually observable circumferentially spaced measuring scale means for relative vertical adjustment of said spaced members on said support, and

said spaced members being individually mounted on said support for vertical adjustment relative to each other.

3. A garment measuring and guide apparatus comprisan inner support having upright wall portions;

an outer support having a substantially vertical wall adapted for surrounding a model at a hemline region and being slidably mounted on said inner support for selective securement at desired elevations and for positioning on the inner side of a garment worn by said model;

a pair of spaced annular members slidably mounted on said outer support in surrounding relation thereto, each having an inner surface in frictional engagement with said wall for selectively securing said members at desired elevations, and each having an outer surface providing a planer circular edge for supporting said garment for marking and for guiding cutting shears to out said garment.

4. A garment measuring and guide apparatus comprisan inner support having upright portions;

an outer support having a substantially vertical wall adapted for surrounding a model at a hemline region and being slidably mounted on said inner support for selective securement at desired elevations and for positioning on the inner side of a garment worn by said model;

means providing hand engaging surfaces for raising and lowering said outer support to said selected elevation on said upright portions;

a pair of spaced annular members slidably mounted on said outer support in surrounding relation thereto, each having an inner surface in frictional engagement with said wall for selectively securing said members at desired elevations, and each having an outer surface providing a planer circular edge for sup-porting said garment for marking and for guiding cutting shears to out said garment.

5. A garment measuring and guide apparatus conipris+ a container having a bottom and a substantially vertical side wall hingedly connected to said bottom adapted for surrounding a model at a hemline region for positioning on the inner side of a garment Worn by said model, said container being formed with a plurality of parallel fold lines and foldable along said fold lines to a flat compact package;

a pair of spaced annular members slidably mounted on said container in surrounding relation thereto each having an inner surface in frictional engagement with said Wall for selectively securing said members at desired elevations, and each having an outer surface providing a planer circular edge for supporting said garment for marking and for guiding cutting shears to cut said garment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 833,521 10/1906 Hampton 33-9 970,006 9/ 1910 Allen 33-9 1,255,426 2/ 1918 Johnston 33-9 1,605,876 11/1926 Van Meter 33-10 2,302,573 11/ 1942 Reich 33-9 2,711,587 6/1955 Branman 33-2 LEONARD FOREMAN, Primary Examiner.

L. ANDERSON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A GARMENT MEASURING AND GUIDE APPARATUS COMPRISING: A SUPPORT HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL WALL ADAPTED FOR SURROUNDING A MODEL AT A HEMLINE REGION FOR POSITIONING ON THE INNER SIDE OF A GARMENT WORN BY SAID MODEL; A PAIR OF SPACED UPPER AND LOWER ANNULAR MEMBERS SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT IN SURROUNDING RELALATION THERETO AND EACH HAVING AN INNER SURFACE OF FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID WALL FOR SELECTIVELY SECURING SAID MEMBERS AT DESIRED ELEVATIONS AND AT VARYING DISTANCES FROM EACH OTHER AND SAID UPPER MEMBER HAVING A RADIALLY DISPOSED OUTER SURFACE PROVIDING A PLANER EDGE FOR SUPPORTING SAID GARMENT FOR MARKING AND SAID LOWER MEMBER HAVING A RADIALLY DISPOSED EDGE FOR GUIDING CUTTING SHEARS TO CUT SAID GARMENT. 